The Fires, 1688 and 1691

The city of Istanbul was particularly prone to fire due to its heavily wooden construction, the houses close proximity to one another, the narrowness of the streets, and the lack of water and extinguishing agents[1]. It experienced frequent fires that burned down homes, stores, bazaars and grounds of worship. Multiple fires in the 18^th century had a particularly damaging effect on the national economy by taking away a large number of stores, including many of the bedestens and inns that had emerged as the region became the center of trade. The stores and bazaars were no exception to such fires, so the bedestens of Eminönü was reconstructed, and the stores constructed and covered with masonry walls and vaults at some point. The Egyptian Bazaar was constructed close to another large bazaar called the Grand Bazaar, together which they constituted “the primary trade center of the region and the city[2].”

The Egyptian Bazaar had one minor and two major fires during its lifetime, the first taking place on March 8^th, 1688. The incident is recorded as follows: “The fire, which started in a tavern out of Balık Pazarı (Fish Market) Gate in the Golden Horn coast, jumped over the rampart and ever growingly stuck to the external area of the Valide Bazaar (the Egyptian Bazaar). In the external area of the Valide Bazaar, centering the Tahmis Street and leaving the Rüstem Pasha Mosque along the right side, the fire burned down all the inns, shops and cellars of wooden and masonry structure on its way…”[3] Much of the damage occurred with the wooden shops behind the bazaar, and the interior of the bazaar was not too affected.

The fire in January 1691, however, was on a much larger scale and almost burned the entire Egyptian Bazaar down. The fire began in one of the shops within the bazaar and spread throughout the rest quickly, taking over the whole area of the bazaar. The fire lasted for two days, wrecking much of the bazaar with only a few of the shops with iron doors surviving the fire. The fire yielded much financial costs for the tradesmen and shopkeepers of the bazaar[4].